This invention relates generally to a well pipe apparatus, and more particularly to such an apparatus for use in both extracting the well pipe from the ground or for guiding a well pipe into the ground while it is being lowered under its own weight.
Heretofore it has been customary to extract a well pipe from a well bore as a workman manually pulls up the well pipe with the use of his pipe wrench while another workman clamps the pipe at the ground level with his pipe wrench to prevent a lowering of the pipe back into the bore. The first workman again clamps the pipe at a lower section to continue the extraction process. This is not only a cumbersome and a costly labor approach but it is ineffective as well. Slippage of the well pipe sometimes occurs as it is being incrementally pulled up. Also, it is difficult to lower a new well pipe into a well bore by such a technique without preventing the pipe from being lowered into the ground at an uncontrolled rate. Various apparatus for well pipe extraction have been devised although each of them is of a rather complex construction in their design of the gripping jaws and in the means employed in releasing same to effect an extraction and a lowering of well pipes.